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Although nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) appears to have a bright future in clinical practice, the lack of familiarity with the technique and how to interpret its outcomes is major barriers which have made nailfold capillaroscopy an underutilized method in standard clinical practice. Traditional methods for assessment and measurement of capillary patterns, density, and blood flow are falling behind and face some challenges. In fact, there have been calls for improvement, hence the recent publication of the standardization of NFC by the EULAR Study Group on Microcirculation in Rheumatic Diseases. Nailfold capillaroscopy has the advantage of being a non-invasive technique that provides a window into the digital microcirculation. This paved the way for a rapidly growing interest in using capillaroscopy parameters as outcome measures in research. In standard clinical practice, whilst its main application is in the identification of an underlying systemic sclerosis spectrum disorder in patients presenting with Raynaud's phenomenon, its use has expanded to include other clinical features possibly suggestive of an underlying connective tissue disease. This article presents the challenges, provides tips, and highlights the exciting potential of nailfold capillaroscopy in standard practice.

Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self-limited febrile disease of unidentified cause that mostly affects children less than 5 years of age. This work aimed to provide an appropriate Egyptian evidence-based consensus on clinical practice recommendations for the management of Kawasaki disease. The main objective of this study, which employed the Delphi method, was to reach a consensus among experts on a treat-to-target management approach for KD. Results The expert panel was confined to an online survey (n=26), and all the expert completed the three rounds. At the conclusion of round 3, a total of 17 recommendation items were gathered, which were divided into two sections. The range of respondents (ranks 7–9) who agreed with the recommendations was 92.3 to 100%. All 17 clinical standards identified by the scientific committee were written in the same way. There have been algorithms proposed for managing various KD conditions. Conclusion The developed evidence-based consensus recommendations for the diagnosis and management of KD represent an up-to-date document that focuses on clinical management questions which are generally posed to health care professionals involved in the management of KD. This guideline was developed considering experience with and availability of treatment and diagnostic options in Egypt.

Background Despite the associated high prevalence of morbidity and mortality, osteoporotic fragility fractures remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. Furthermore, those who sustain a fragility fracture are at imminent risk of sustaining subsequent fractures. Post-fracture care (PFC) programs are systematic, coordinated care programs that recognize, evaluate, and manage older adults who sustained a fragility fracture with the goal of managing all the risk factors and preventing succeeding fractures. Main text This work was carried out to outline the PFC program adopted in Egypt and its applicability in standard clinical practice. A review of literature was conducted to identify an evidence-informed PFC strategies and protocols, which outlines the optimal manner to manage older adults living with fragility fractures. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was used to guide the reporting of this review. Based on this, a PFC integrated model of care based on a patient-centered approach has been developed aiming to optimize the outcomes. Conclusion This manuscript described the integrated model of care adopted in Egypt to provide care for older adults presenting with fragility fractures. This will pave the way to standardize patient identification and management. Additionally, to prevent occurrence of subsequent fractures and to enhance equity of care for patients with fragility fracture and osteoporosis, expansion of such service to rural and remote areas is highly recommended.

Background There is an evidence-practice gap in osteoarthritis (OA) management which has caused several patients living with the disease are receiving suboptimal medical care. Though there are several guidelines and treatment recommendations published, there is a real need to operationalise such evidence-based guidelines and facilitate their implementation by healthcare professionals in their local health systems Main text This work was carried out to outline a patient-centred multidisciplinary osteoarthritis care programme for knee and hip joint osteoarthritis that is applicable in standard clinical practice. A scoping review was conducted to identify an evidence-informed osteoarthritis management strategy, which outlines the optimal manner to treat patients living with osteoarthritis and can be implemented by healthcare professionals. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist was used to guide the reporting of this review. Based on this, a “Model of Care” based on a patient-centred approach with shared decision-making to enhance the timely consideration of all treatment options (including non-pharmacological, pharmacological therapies, psychotherapy, rehabilitation as well as surgery) has been developed aiming to optimise the outcomes. The goals and principles have been identified as well as the key performance indices. An algorithm for the multidisciplinary management of osteoarthritis has been developed. Conclusion The developed osteoarthritis care programme (OACP) provided a “Model of Care” for people living with OA which can be implemented in standard practice. The results will give insight into the features, performance, results, and outcome measures assessed. It will also guide future research towards how “Model of Care” can be patient-centred and tailored to the individual medical status.

The overarching goal of treating osteoporotic patients is to reduce the incidence of fractures, yet interventions that support early detection of osteoporosis and prevention of osteoporotic fractures are underutilized. Osteoporosis and, specifically, the associated burden of fractures call for a screening strategy offering an opportunity to intervene early. Such strategy should be clinically feasible and cost-effective, aiming to identify and treat subjects at high or very high risk of fragility fracture.The low sensitivity of bone mineral density measurements in identifying high-risk patients is evidenced by the high number of osteoporotic fractures occurring in subjects with BMD values above threshold required for a diagnosis of osteoporosis. Consequently, DXA scanning is not considered appropriate as a public screening tool identifying patients at risk of sustaining fragility fractures and current efforts focus on identifying non-BMD-related risk factors.In Egypt, we are fortunate in having all modalities of osteoporosis therapy and assessment tools available, yet there remains a significant treatment gap in osteoporosis management. Furthermore, screening for fracture risk is not currently advocated nationally. This manuscript describes a national initiative for a population screening intervention to identify patients at risk of developing a fragility fracture aiming to reduce fragility fractures especially in older adults.

Background Busy rheumatologists, and busy patients as well as policy makers, require accurate, succinct, transparent, easily digested summaries of evidence and recommendations for management. Our objective was to develop an up-to-date evidence-based, consensus, clinical practice guidelines for treat-to-target management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Results Ninety-four (94.7%) of the expert committee completed the 2-round e-Delphi surveys. A total of 33 recommendation items, addressing the main rheumatoid arthritis (RA) domains, were identified. The level of agreement (rate 7–9), for the statements which reached consensus, ranged from 85 to 100%. Consensus was achieved on the wording of all the clinical practice guidelines identified by the scientific committee. A management algorithm for the management of rheumatoid arthritis have been developed. Conclusion These updated recommendations reflect the most recent evidence for the management of RA. It also outlines the multidisciplinary team role in enhancing the RA patients’ care. The recommendations offer strategies to achieve optimum treat-to-target outcomes. However, standards of care are defined based on the clinical data obtained for individual patients and are prone to modification. High-quality, broad scope evidence-based clinical practice guidelines offer a path for bridging the gap between best practice, policy, local settings and patients’ choice.

Background This is a Clinical Practice Guideline update released by the Egyptian Academy of Bone Health and Metabolic Bone Diseases. It does not replace the clinical practice guidelines published for the treatment of osteoporosis in 2021, but it entails specific recommendations and selective criteria for romosozumab as another pharmacological agent for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. It has been issued, in part, due to the imminent approval of romosozumab in Egypt. Main text The guideline recommends the use of romosozumab, for up to 1 year, for the reduction of vertebral, hip, and non-vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with severe osteoporosis at very high risk of fracture/imminent fracture risk: defined as T-score less than − 2.5 and a prior hip or vertebral fracture in the past 24 months or a very high fracture risk, as identified by FRAX (FRAX major osteoporosis fracture > 30%, FRAX hip fracture > 4.5%). The recommended dosage of romosozumab is 210 mg monthly by subcutaneous injection for 12 months. For osteoporotic postmenopausal women who have completed a 12-month course of romosozumab, treatment with an anti-resorptive osteoporosis therapy is recommended to maintain bone mineral density gains and reduce fracture risk. The treatment is not recommended for women at high risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, which includes those with prior myocardial infarction or stroke. In conclusion, strategies to osteoporosis management have been highly diversified, with bone health specialists have become able to set up treatment plan tailored to the individual patient’s requirement. Patients with severe osteoporosis at very high fracture risk need stronger therapeutic regimens to start with. Romosozumab endorses bone formation and suppresses bone resorption, leading to a greater anabolic window and a superior positive impact on bone mineral density.

The prevalence of sarcopenia with osteoporosis results in a higher risk of falling and fractures. It was noted that patients who had completed their planned 5-year denosumab therapy course as treatment for these conditions started to sustain falls.To assess (a) whether denosumab has a unique dual effect on both bone and muscle in comparison to other anti-resorptive agents and (b) its effectiveness in the follow-up period post-treatment completion compared to other anti-resorptive agents.One hundred thirty-five patients diagnosed to have postmenopausal/senile osteoporosis and who were prescribed denosumab were compared to a control group of 272 patients stratified into 2 subgroups - 136 prescribed alendronate and 136 prescribed zoledronate. All patients were assessed for: BMD (DXA), falls risk (FRAS), fracture risk (FRAX), and sarcopenia measures. All were re-assessed after 5 years of denosumab/alendronate therapy and 3 years of zoledronate and 1 year after stopping the osteoporosis therapy.No significant baseline demographic differences between the 3 groups. On completion of the 5-year denosumab therapy, there was significant decrease in falls risk (P = 0.001) and significant improvements in all sarcopenia measures (P = 0.01). One-year post-discontinuation of denosumab, a significant worsening of both falls risk and sarcopenia measures (P = 0.01) noticed.Denosumab displayed positive impact and significant improvements in BMD and sarcopenia measures. It also enhanced multidirectional agility as depicted by Timed Up and Go (TUG). Collectively, this would explain the reduction of falls risk which got worse on stopping the medication. Key points • The coexistence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia has been recently considered in some groups as a syndrome termed 'osteosarcopenia'. • Bone and muscle closely interact with each other not only anatomically, but also at the chemical and metabolic levels. • Denosumab displayed positive impact and significant improvements in all sarcopenia measures, and enhanced multidirectional agility with consequent reduction in falls risk. • Denosumab can be considered as a first osteoporosis therapeutic option in this group of patients presenting with osteosarcopenia manifestations.

Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs), which include all types of inflammatory arthritis as well as systemic Lupus, are known to have a detrimental effect on both fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Consequently, reproductive health care is considered a principle constituent of comprehensive care for all patients with rheumatic ailments seen in the standard practice. Whilst pregnancy-associated complications have been reported in lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's syndrome, in some conditions such as lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome, inflammatory myopathies, and vasculitis, the pregnancy may accelerate the disease progression. Furthermore, the activity of some diseases such as lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome may be augmented by some contraceptive methods. Therapeutically, some patients are prescribed medications, such as methotrexate and mycophenolate which have potentially teratogenic effect. Therefore, to be able to help those patients, family planning should be patient-centred with decision-making tailored to the individual's disease status. For those healthcare professionals interested in reproductive health care for their patients living with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, this review summarizes the available information in the literature and offers practical suggestions of patient-centred care in a dedicated rheumatology-led pregnancy clinic. Key Points • Autoimmune disorders, particularly systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, affect many women, often during childbearing age. • Pregnancies in this cohort of patients with rheumatic diseases is considered to be of high risk, because of the potential for complications during periods of active disease and the possible impact of medications used on both the pregnancy outcomes as well as the baby. • There are high chances of successful and safe pregnancies particularly if pre-pregnancy planning and screening for maternal and fetal risks are undertaken, and pregnancy takes place while the disease is well controlled. Encouraging the patients, who are in their childbearing period, to initiate discussions about family planning and pregnancy, with their treating rheumatologists, would be an ideal approach to close this gap of information exchange. • Targeted patients' education is expected to improve the information quality and promote more collaborative decision-making with regard to motherhood and healthcare choices.

Background Nephritis is known to be one of the most serious complications of lupus and a strong predictor of poor outcome. This study was carried out aiming at setting up an up-to-date recommendation for the management of women living with lupus nephritis and planning for a family throughout conception, pregnancy, and the postpartum period. Ten key clinical questions were identified by the scientific committee according to the Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Timing (PICOT) approach. The literature review team performed a systematic review to summarise evidence advocating the benefits and harms of available pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies for women living with lupus nephritis (LN) and planning for a family. Subsequently, recommendations were formulated. The level of evidence was determined for each section using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) system. A 2-round Delphi process was conducted with 24 experts. All rounds were conducted online. A consensus was achieved on the direction and the strength of the recommendations. Results An online questionnaire was sent to an expert panel who participated in the two rounds (response rate 100%). At the end of round 2, a total of 20 recommendation items, categorised into 10 domains to address the main LN with pregnancy categories, were obtained. The percentage of those who agreed with the recommendations (rank 7–9) ranged from 88.5 to 100%. On the phrasing of all the clinical standards defined by the scientific committee, a consensus was reached (i.e., 75% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed). An algorithm for the management of LN with pregnancy has been suggested. Conclusion These recommendations provide an updated consensus on the pharmacological treatment of LN with pregnancy and strategies to reach optimal outcomes for both the mother and newborn in common clinical scenarios, based on a combination of evidence and expert opinion. Best treatment decisions should be tailored to each individual patient’s situation.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Background We aimed to provide up-to-date, evidence-based and consensus-based recommendations for Treat-to-Target management of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and associated clinical manifestations. In this recommendations, 14 key clinical questions were identified by scientific committee according to the Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Timing (PICOT) approach. Literature Review team performed a systematic review to summarize evidence advocating the benefits and harms of available pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies for psoriatic arthritis. Subsequently, recommendations were formulated. The level of evidence was determined for each section using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine (CEBM) system. A 3-round Delphi process was conducted with 19 experts whom were drawn from different governorates and health centers across Egypt with diverse in their experiences, including private, governmental workplace, tertiary university hospitals, and insurance hospitals. All rounds were conducted online. A consensus was achieved on the direction and the strength of the recommendations. Results An online questionnaire was sent to an expert panel who participated in the three rounds (response rate 100%). At the end of round 3, a total of 51 recommendation items, categorized into 6 sections to address the main 6 psoriatic arthritis categories, were obtained. Agreement with the recommendations (rank 7–9) ranged from 89.5 to 100%. Consensus was reached (i.e., ≥ 75%of respondents strongly agreed or agreed) on the wording of all the 51 clinical standards identified by the scientific committee. Algorithms for the management of psoriatic arthritis have been suggested. Conclusion These recommendations provide an updated consensus on the pharmacological treatment of psoriatic arthritis and strategies to reach optimal treat-to-target outcomes in in common clinical scenarios, based on a combination of evidence and expert opinion. Best treatment decisions should be tailored to each individual patient situation.

The birth of reproductive rheumatology as a subject of interest in rheumatology has led to improvement of clinical care for patients living with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and paved the way towards setting a specialized pregnancy service within the standard rheumatology practice. In contrast to women, where there has been wealth of literature regarding pregnancy, lactation, and birth outcomes, there is not as much focusing on male sexual health and outcomes among inflammatory arthritis patients. Challenges such as decrease ability to conceive, impaired fertility, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual problems have been raised by male patients living with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. This broad scope gives the reproductive health concept in men another expansion with views to include sexual health problems screening among men attending the standard outpatient rheumatology clinics. This article adds to the paucity of real-life experience and aims at discussing the sexual health from the men perspective and provides a practical approach towards screening, and assessment of men living with autoimmune diseases in standard day to day practice.

Background Because of the subjective character of symptoms, absence of a diagnostic test, modest response to treatments, and, at times, patient reports of important functional disability, fibromyalgia remains a challenge for the treating health care professionals in the standard clinical practice. The aim of this study was to develop an up-to-date consensus and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for a treat-to-target management of fibromyalgia. Fifteen key clinical questions were identified by a scientific committee according to the Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes (PICO) approach. A literature review team performed a systematic review to summarize the evidence advocating the benefits and harms of available pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies for fibromyalgia. Subsequently, recommendations were formulated. The level of evidence was determined for each section using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine (CEBM) system. A 3-round Delphi process was conducted with 16 experts. All rounds were conducted online. A consensus was achieved on the direction and the strength of the recommendations. Results An online questionnaire was sent to an expert panel who participated in the three rounds (response rate 100%). At the end of round 3, a total of fifteen recommendation items, categorized into 10 sections to address the main fibromyalgia categories, were obtained. Agreement with the recommendations (ranks 7–9) ranged from 85 to 100%. Consensus was reached (i.e., ≥ 80% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed) on the wording of all the 15 clinical standards identified by the scientific committee. An algorithm for the management of fibromyalgia has been suggested. Conclusions These recommendations provide an updated consensus on both the non-pharmacological and the pharmacological treatments of fibromyalgia. The provided strategies to reach optimal treat-to-target outcomes in common clinical scenarios are based on a combination of evidence and expert opinions. Best treatment decisions should be tailored to each individual patient situation.

Introduction New therapies, management approaches, and evidence regarding the management of gout have become available over the past years. This triggered the need for an updated recommendation for gout management. Through an up-to-date consensus evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the management of gout including recommendations for management of gout flares, optimum usage of urate lowering therapy for chronic gout, as well as patient education and lifestyle guidance. A wide systematic literature review was performed, and evidence-based recommendations were extrapolated, based on 16-key questions identified according to population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes (PICO) approach. These were evaluated by a panel consisted of 17 rheumatology experts via online surveys over a 2-round Delphi process. The purpose of this study is to offer an updated, consensus-evidence-based, and in the meantime patient-focused, expert recommendations for the treat-to-target approach of gout management. Results Results revealed that after round 2 ended, a total of 30-recommendation items, categorized into 10 domains, were obtained. Agreement with the recommendations (rank 7–9) ranged from 90 to 100%. Consensus was reached (i.e., ≥ 75% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed) on the wording, the grade of recommendation, and level of evidence of all the 30 clinical standards identified by the scientific committee. Conclusions This guideline provides updated evidence-based recommendations for the prevention and treatment of acute as well as chronic gout. This guideline provides an approach for physicians and patients making decisions on the management of gout. It will also facilitate improvement and uniformity of care.

Background Despite a broad spectrum of effective anti-osteoporosis therapies and a growing number of older adults worldwide, the number of people receiving appropriate secondary fracture prevention is not yet optimum or achieved its expected target, i.e., avoiding refracture. Main body To close this gap in the patients’ care, and in concordance with the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) as well as international organizations recommendations, the Egyptian Academy of Bone Health and Metabolic Bone Diseases has launched specialised healthcare system for fracture liaison services (FLSs). FLS is a small team of healthcare professionals who identify, investigate, initiate therapy and arrange for follow-up plan over time, for people aged 50 and above presenting with a fragility fracture. Such comprehensive service requires operative clinical standards which would help to standardise the service across the different centres to become effective and sustainable. An estimated 71.8% of the Egyptian population currently have access to a local FLSs. This article aims at setting up evidence-based standards of post-fracture care and provide the necessary index for efficient implementation of secondary fracture prevention in the different FLS centres in Egypt. Conclusion The Egyptian FLS clinical standards agree with the international protocols and are an effective approach to target interventions to the properly identified patients at risk. The Egyptian model has identified 19 key performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of fracture liaison services and guide quality improvement.

To develop and evaluate an illustrated, stand-alone, interactive evidence-based shared decision making (SDM) aid for JIA children; its ability to produce positive perceived involvement of JIA patients in their own management and its impact on their adherence to therapy, school absenteeism and treatment outcomes.The SDM aid was developed to offer information about the disease, risks and benefits of treatment. A multidisciplinary team defined SDM criteria based on international standards (IPDAS). Eight categories emerged as highly important for SDM. Each category was supported by simple illustrations in an interactive style. At the end of each category, the child is asked to make a decision in view of the information given. Ninety-four JIA children were provided with the tool, in a randomised controlled study, in comparison to a control group of 95 JIA patients treated according to standard protocols.A total of 97.5% of the study children reported comprehensibility of more than 90%. The patients' adherence to therapy was significantly (p 0.01) higher in the SDM group, whereas stopping DMARDs for intolerability was significantly higher in the control group at 12 months of treatment. There was a significant improvement in the patient-reported outcomes in the SDM group, and absence from school was significantly higher in the control group (p 0.01).The developed SDM aid offered the children evidence-based information about the pros and cons of treatment options and improved their understanding of the disease and their ability to make an informed decision that is reflected on their adherence to therapy and better treatment outcomes. Key Points • This work represents the second generation of shared decision-making tools. • The developed tool adopts an interactive style and enhances critical thinking, giving the patients the facility of making their own decision regarding their management. • The work gives an example of core domain set of outcomes which can be used for shared decision-making interventions.

ObjectivesTo develop recommendations for the management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodA task force comprising of 25 rheumatologists from the 5 regions of the continent was formed and operated through a hub-and-spoke model with a central working committee (CWC) and 4 subgroups. The subgroups championed separate scopes of the clinical questions and formulated preliminary statements of recommendations which were processed centrally in the CWC. The CWC and each subgroup met by several virtual meetings, and two rounds of voting were conducted on the drafted statements of recommendations. Votes were online-delivered and recommendations were pruned down according to predefined criteria. Each statement was rated between 1 and 9 with 1–3, 4–6 and 7–9 representing disagreement, uncertainty and agreement, respectively. The levels of agreement on the statements were stratified as low, moderate or high according to the spread of votes. A statement was retired if it had a mean vote below 7 or a ‘low’ level of agreement.ResultsA total of 126 initial statements of recommendations were drafted, and these were reduced to 22 after the two rounds of voting.ConclusionsThe preliminary statements of recommendations will serve to guide the clinical practice of rheumatology across Africa amidst the changing practices and uncertainties in the current era of COVID-19. It is recognized that further updates to the recommendations will be needed as more evidence emerges.Key Points• AFLAR has developed preliminary recommendations for the management of RMDs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.• COVID-19 is an unprecedented experience which has brought new concerns regarding the use of some disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and these recommendations seek to provide guidelines to the African rheumatologists.• Hydroxychloroquine shortage has become rampart across Africa as the drug is being used as prophylaxis against COVID-19 and this may necessitate a review of treatment plan for some patients with RMDs.• Breastfeeding should continue for as long as possible if a woman is positive for SARS-CoV-2 as there is currently no evidence that the infection can be transmitted through breast milk.

Advances in technology led to a heightened interest in exploring the use of this technology in the standard rheumatology practice. Tech-Talks will enable the information at the patients' and rheumatologists' fingertips. As e-rheumatology is an idea whose time has come, this review outlines the e-health's developments and its impact on both the patients and the treating rheumatologists. Also it will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using apps and mobile health in the day-to-day rheumatology service as well as the ethical and financial aspects of this model of care.

This study aims to identify the clinical predictors of arthritis in patients with psoriasis and to evaluate the use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US) as a predictor for inflammatory structural progression in psoriatic patients. Measures of association (odds ratio (OR)) were tested, in a prospective, cohort 1-year follow-up study, between structural deterioration and the presence of baseline inflammation, or its persistence. One hundred twenty-six psoriatic patients were prospectively evaluated both clinically and by US at 0, 6, and 12 months for synovitis/ joint damage, enthesitis, and onychopathy. X-ray was performed at 0 and 12 months. One hundred twelve sex and age-matched pasoriatic patients without histories of musculoskeletal symptoms were included as control group. Structural deterioration was observed in 47% of the 5,292 evaluated joints. Clinical variables associated with arthritis risk: BMI 25 (OR = 1.7), body surface area (OR = 1.13), family history (OR = 5.72) and nail involvement (OR = 2.25). BMI 30 was significantly correlated (P 0.01) with shorter time for the onset of arthritis. Baseline synovial score/PD score ≥ 2 was associated with increased risk of structural progression: OR = 1.98 versus 2.61 versus 2.66 (P 0.001) for the clinical versus US-gray scale (GS) versus US-power Doppler (PD) evaluation, respectively. An increased probability for structural progression in the presence of enthesitis was observed (OR = 2.79 and 3.50) for both US-GS and US-PD, whereas OR was 2.46 for clinical examination. Onychopathy was associated with structural joint damage (OR = 2.30). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, persistent of synovitis/enthesitis at 6 months of therapy was predictive of subsequent structural progression. Family history of psoriatic arthritis, large BMI (25), high percentage of psoriatic body surface area, and nail involvement were significantly associated with early onset psoriatic arthritis. Baseline GS score of ≥2, PD score of ≥2, presence of enthesitis, enhanced vascularity at enthesitis, higher GUESS score, and onychopathy, all at base line as well as persistent synovitis and enthesitis at 6 months are predictors of progressive early psoriatic arthritis. Regular ultrasonographic monitoring of these patients is mandatory to assess the progression of their arthritis status.

There are several advantages in using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in standard clinical practice, particularly if a questionnaire is distributed to each patient at each visit as a standard in the infrastructure usual care. The patients, being the most knowledgeable persons concerning their pain and global estimate, do most of the work by completing a questionnaire. Completion of the questionnaire helps the patients prepare for their visit as well as improving doctor-patient communication. Recently, the role of PROMs has expanded from the static phase of capturing and measuring outcomes at a single point of time to a more dynamic role. This dynamic role is aiming at driving improvement not only in the quality of inflammatory arthritis care but also in the patients' reported experience. Therefore, in addition to its value in tailoring treatment targets adapted to the patient's needs, PROMs also have the potential of modifying the disease impact through improving the patients' adherence to therapy and allowing the patients to monitor the changes in their condition. Though more attention has been given to the use of PROMs in routine clinical care, little was published regarding what could be done with the plethora of data gained from PROMs and how dynamic it can be enhancing the "patient-centered care" approach and improving patients' experience. This article highlights the value of adopting PROMs for arthritic patients in standard clinical practice and its impact on long-term patients' management.